Whether you work in a business that has customers or a school that has students, you’ll encounter “clients” who are unhappy about something. How similar should a school's reaction be to that of a business?

Jonathan Liebman

Business customers may complain about a late delivery, faulty product, cancelled flight, cable TV going out, etc. Student complaints run the gamut, from the expected: too much homework, lack of bike cages, unfair DVD copying restrictions, professors displaying inappropriate bias in their lectures; to the less expected: dance students who don’t like to stretch and even, “The teacher never told us we couldn’t cheat.” Even when their complaints are outlandish, schools should be concerned about retaining students,

Every complaint falls into one of three categories: 1) a legitimate complaint that you can solve; 2) a legitimate complaint that you cannot resolve; or 3) an ill-founded complaint.

In all cases, listen attentively and allow the complainant to vent. If the complaint is legitimate, apologize to the student and ask how you can make things right. Assure the student that you’ll fix the problem or, at the very least, that you’ll look into it.      

Perhaps you're employed at a campus with an ombudsman who has the role of an objective third party to help get issues resolved. "I'm the guy that you come to when you've got a problem you can't solve in any other way," says Richard Rosen, associate professor of history and politics at Drexel University, Drexel’s ombudsman. "It doesn't mean that I can solve it, but it means that I can probably tell you how to solve it" 

When discussing a student’s complaint, be direct and specific and remain professional. Try to resolve the complaint informally by talking calmly. Avoid blaming a student for the problem by telling him he didn’t follow directions or that he should have known better. Rather, focus on what needs to be done to rectify the situation. Then go one better by offering to get involved. “I’ll speak to the librarian for you” or “Let me contact your tutor so we can get to the bottom of this” will go a long way with most students. Be sure to confront the problem head-on and quickly. Allowing it to fester will only make things worse. Also, regardless of your level of authority, try to resolve the problem before it makes its way any higher up the food chain.

If the solution is beyond the scope of your influence, you might try to add perspective by reminding students of the reasons they came to school in the first place. Acknowledge that parking problems and lack of first class cuisine are legitimate gripes, but that they can also be viewed as minor nuisances in the grand scheme of things, such as the exciting prospects of the new career on which they are about to embark.  The important thing is that the students will appreciate being heard and taken seriously.

Always thank them for coming forth.  Invite them to check back with you from time to time to let you know how they’re doing. Then see if you can beat them to the punch by seeking them out before they come to you. That kind of attention will do wonders.  It probably works well in a business setting too.